The present invention relates to transport trays for small animals and, more particularly, to chick transport trays with integral watering capability.
Chicks are usually transported from the hatchery to the farm or poultry house in large numbers. These very young birds are prone to dehydration, which can reduce the survival rate and slow the growth rate of the surviving birds. The transport device is usually a rectangular tray, which gives the chicks enough headroom while being as space efficient as possible.
Typical chick transport trays contain air vent holes, which allow air to circulate freely. Various configurations add rigidity to the chick transport trays, making them able to withstand the load of chick transport trays stacked on top. In addition, various watering devices have been disclosed in the past. In general, the previously disclosed watering devices fail to give each chick in the tray easy access to water.
A watering attachment for fowl cages disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,388 is labor-intensive to fill and clean; it can obstruct easy stacking of the transport trays. In addition, it is not easily accessible by all birds in the transport tray.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,395 discloses a floor-mounted watering tray; these watering trays minimize available floor space in the transport trays and can create a safety hazard for the chicks. In addition, chicks along the sides of the tray do not have easy access to water.
Various types of watering valves have also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,703 and 5,857,429. These watering valves are fed from a piping system along the sides of the transport tray or a piping system that runs just above the chick""s heads. Due to the complexity of the piping system, this watering system does not provide the plurality of watering valves necessary for easy access by all chicks in the transport tray.
An improved chick transport tray is needed, which is safe for the chicks and provides easy water access for all chicks in the transport tray. In addition, the needed watering device should be easy to clean, store, fill and use. The transport tray should stack easily, stabilizing the column of transport trays.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a watering device for a chick transport tray with an integrated watering tank.
A further object of the present invention is to supply a number of watering nipples, which provide easy, safe access to clean water for all the chicks in the transport tray, regardless of their location in the transport tray.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a watering device that is easy to remove, clean, store and fill.
A further object of the present invention is to integrate the watering device into the tray in such a way that the trays will stack easily.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.